The present invention relates to plumbing valves such as faucets. More particularly it relates to such valves which are controlled by a joystick type handle control.
A wide variety of plumbing control valves are known which use a single lever handle to control volume and mixing. Typically the handle extends through the top or front of a valve housing with its inner end linked to sliding and/or rotating plates or other control structures. The outer end of the handle is designed to be gripped by the consumer. See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,798,530, 2,850,042, 3,512,547, 3,548,878, 3,693,660, 4,357,957, 4,916,966, 5,095,934, 6,209,581 and 6,286,808.
However, a problem with many of these designs is that pressure on the control handle during actuation can eventually cause the handle connection to loosen, which can allow the handle to inadvertently actuate or wobble. Further, over time some of these devices require a relatively large force to cause movement of the valve components, which can expedite degradation of valve internal components. Even where this is not the case, many of these designs are undesirably susceptible to wear and tear.
Still other of these designs do not effectively preclude environmental water, soap and dirt from entering the valve. Again, this can adversely affect performance.
In other developments, there have been some attempts to provide such control handles which mimic the aesthetic appearance and feel of an aviation or video game joystick. However, existing prior art designs suffer from one or more deficiencies (e.g. those noted above).
In still other developments there have been attempts to mount faucets in hidden enclosures associated with lavatories. For example, Kohler Co. markets a Purist™ bathroom cabinet in which the outlet for its faucet is integrated inside the cabinet. However, that system uses a conventional control handle to control outlet flow.
Thus, a need still exists for improved single handle plumbing valves, particularly those which present a joystick-type feel and appearance and/or which are capable of being integrated into cabinets and other box-like housings.